EDITORIAL: Now is not the time for AEA to ask for raises

Published: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 9:30 p.m.

So the Alabama Education Association decided to be magnanimous and ask that its 10 percent raise be spread out over three years instead of two years. Will wonders never cease?

“Actually, because of revenues, we’re looking at 10 percent over three years,” said AEA Executive Director Henry Mabry. “We’ve been talking about two (years) but because of other revenue situations as well as other needs in education, we’ve got to be cognizant of needs and respectfully seek raises over three years.”

Well that’s big of them. Who would have ever thought the power brokers, who once played the tune that much of the Legislature danced to (it sounded a bit like that old ditty “We’re in the Money”), would set aside their own interests for the good of the state? Taking their money in three installments instead of two certainly sounds like a sacrifice.

Just exactly what pleasure cruise to Lala Land AEA officials think they’re on, we’re not sure. If we’re not mistaken, they’re floating around the same leaky dinghy that the rest of the state shares. The other occupants appear to be bailing and pumping to keep the water out, rather than focusing on what resort they’re sailing to.

Mabry gives lip service to the impact that the state’s financial woes have had on education since the 2008 recession hit, noting that the state has lost 12,500 teachers and support personnel since then.

“We’ve got programs hurting, we’ve got teachers and lunchroom people and other support people who have had more put on them to do and there’s money out of their pockets when (higher benefit costs) took effect last year,” Mabry said.

And that’s exactly why this isn’t the time to start handing out raises. Increasing salaries right now will do nothing but exacerbate those problems.

We understand perfectly that teachers and support personnel haven’t gotten any raises since 2008. Neither have other state workers. Neither have many private sector employees.

Money doesn’t magically materialize. So where, exactly, AEA officials think it will come from at a time when there isn’t enough to fund many other basic services is a mystery. A stagnant economy isn’t likely to suddenly infuse the state with an unexpected gush of tax dollars. Good luck squeezing higher taxes out of wage earners who have also experienced stagnant salaries and rising benefit costs Mabry points to.

We understand that the AEA represents education employees and the rest of this isn’t their business.

We also realize that if the state’s economic fortunes improve, teachers and other state employees should receive the raises that they’ve had to forgo during the last four years.

But now is the time for the state and the people who work for it to hunker down and endure. It’s not the time to ask for raises. If the AEA doesn’t get that, the Legislature should provide them with a thorough explanation.

<p>So the Alabama Education Association decided to be magnanimous and ask that its 10 percent raise be spread out over three years instead of two years. Will wonders never cease?</p><p>“Actually, because of revenues, we're looking at 10 percent over three years,” said AEA Executive Director Henry Mabry. “We've been talking about two (years) but because of other revenue situations as well as other needs in education, we've got to be cognizant of needs and respectfully seek raises over three years.”</p><p>Well that's big of them. Who would have ever thought the power brokers, who once played the tune that much of the Legislature danced to (it sounded a bit like that old ditty “We're in the Money”), would set aside their own interests for the good of the state? Taking their money in three installments instead of two certainly sounds like a sacrifice.</p><p>Just exactly what pleasure cruise to Lala Land AEA officials think they're on, we're not sure. If we're not mistaken, they're floating around the same leaky dinghy that the rest of the state shares. The other occupants appear to be bailing and pumping to keep the water out, rather than focusing on what resort they're sailing to.</p><p>Mabry gives lip service to the impact that the state's financial woes have had on education since the 2008 recession hit, noting that the state has lost 12,500 teachers and support personnel since then.</p><p>“We've got programs hurting, we've got teachers and lunchroom people and other support people who have had more put on them to do and there's money out of their pockets when (higher benefit costs) took effect last year,” Mabry said.</p><p>And that's exactly why this isn't the time to start handing out raises. Increasing salaries right now will do nothing but exacerbate those problems.</p><p>We understand perfectly that teachers and support personnel haven't gotten any raises since 2008. Neither have other state workers. Neither have many private sector employees.</p><p>Money doesn't magically materialize. So where, exactly, AEA officials think it will come from at a time when there isn't enough to fund many other basic services is a mystery. A stagnant economy isn't likely to suddenly infuse the state with an unexpected gush of tax dollars. Good luck squeezing higher taxes out of wage earners who have also experienced stagnant salaries and rising benefit costs Mabry points to.</p><p>We understand that the AEA represents education employees and the rest of this isn't their business. </p><p>We also realize that if the state's economic fortunes improve, teachers and other state employees should receive the raises that they've had to forgo during the last four years.</p><p>But now is the time for the state and the people who work for it to hunker down and endure. It's not the time to ask for raises. If the AEA doesn't get that, the Legislature should provide them with a thorough explanation.</p>